Writing Steampunk Fiction

Fabulous Flying Machines

One thing I am fascinated by are flying machines and how they so easily—and quintessentially—fit into the steampunk genre. After all, what’s steampunk without airships?

Jules Verne enchanted us all with balloon travel in “Around the World in Eighty Days” and “Five weeks in a Balloon.” Who wouldn’t want to travel in a helium filled balloon? But aircraft get even bigger—even today, such as blimps and dirigibles, which are used for tourism, camera platforms, advertising, surveillance, and research. It’s not that far off to think of them on an even grander scale, such as passenger ships as elegant as the Victorian steamers, transporting people from one place to another with speed, elegance, and spectacular views.

They could be grand and elegant passenger ships of gleaming wood and polished brass, or could be patched and clunky cargo haulers, or these vessels could be filled with the most fearsome people to haunt steampunk skies—air pirates!

But ships aren’t the only things that can fly. I’m also fascinated with the idea of personal aircraft—such as the idea of “detachable wings” – small powered gliders with wings reminiscent of a Da Vinci sketch. One could almost imagine a ruffian in his leather aviation cap and brass goggles soaring through the sky on such a contraption.

Hoverboards also enthrall me. A steampunk teen could easily be dodging the police on some sort of brass and wood flying skate/surfboard powered by rockets, the sun, or who knows…

Finally, we can’t forget the flying car—whether it simply floats or has giant purple bat wings. This is yet another fabulous, flying machine that could find a home in a steampunk world.

Don’t even get me started on floating cities.

What’s your favorite flying machine—fictional or fact? Do you wish you could fly out the window on a red dirt devil? Soar the skies in a giant airship? A poster will be chosen at random on Friday to receive a bag of “productivity pixy dust” to inspire you and a small sparkly tiara.

5 Responses

I have always wanted a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Years ago, I acquired a vintage MG-TD, with a long, squared-off nose, a spare tire on the trunk and no roof. The doors were steel and they opened with a pull-cord. I used to image I could pull them extra hard and those skinny doors would flip up and flap like a geese to get my out of traffic.

I hadn’t realized it might qualify, but the dirigiblegot me thinking. Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series might be considered Steampunk. OK, it’s set in 1980s England not Victorian, but they use dirigibles as short-hop transportation. It’s a brillant series, with a lot of neat things like that.

Still, I’m not sure I’d ride in one. Then again, there was only one really horrible crash with the Hindenburg. There have been many many with airplanes, and I still fly!